"Brulard is based on David Bouley. Even the 'talk to your fish' scene is straight from a story written by Dan Barber about working for Bouley. Bouley was certifiable, and those scenes are light compared to the reality."

From across the kitchen, he appears to be garnishing a plate of raw tuna, but his eyes are somehow locked on me. It isn't a hostile gaze, but it isn't exactly reassuring either.

And:

The kitchen falls suddenly silent as he appears next to me and pulls me close in a headlock. Just as quickly, the noise roars back up. Everyone around us has resumed the whirling, except for chef and me. We are in our own world. I hear the expediter: ''Chef: Table 6 -- old man -- he's fading. He won't last -- he needs his food; he needs it now.''

''Be cool,'' says the cool chef, with one hand pulling the fated mackerel from the flame and with the other pulling me close to him. ''You're not talking to your fish.'' He pauses for effect, bracing my neck against his forearm. We stand together and gaze at the mackerel. I'm about to introduce myself when he interrupts the thought. ''I always talk to my fish,'' he says, staring at the sizzling mackerel.

Ratings were down a bit for "Treme" in week two, though there's no counting how many viewers were lured away by announcing Osama bin Laden's demise, coverage of which began during the first Eastern and Central time zones airing of the episode and continued through the Western windows.

Premiere episode, first Sunday night airing: 605,000 viewers.

Second episode, first Sunday night airing: 560,000.

Cumulative weekly audience totals, the measure by which HBO counts ratings success or failure, won't be available for a while. Last season, "Treme" averaged more than 3 million weekly cumulative viewers.

Bruce Fretts, writing for TVGuide.com, likes season two better than season one:

My colleague Matt Roush has compared Treme favorably to Nashville, and that's never felt more apt than in this week's episode, directed by Robert Altman alum Tim Robbins (The Player, Short Cuts). The Thanksgiving montage — including DJ Davis' exuberant trip to a "bounce" club with his fun-loving aunt (Elizabeth Ashley) — was a cornucopia of delightful sounds and images, sprawling with all the color and life of the Big Easy.

But the simplicity of "The Treme Song" is deceptive. It's what isn't in that song that makes it so appealing. Unlike most city anthems, there is nothing here about what is bought and sold in New Orleans. No gumbo, no voodoo, no pralines, not even a cold drink. There's nothing except action: the groans of a Sunday preacher, the responding blessed moans of sisters, the bass drum and trombone, buck jumping and having fun.

Below, a video interview with Boutte shot during rehearsals for a "Treme" soundtrack preview concert in August. (Really. It's really there under the psychedelic "Processing" mind-control graphic. Click on the little "Play" arrow and feed your head, man.)

Dave Walker can be reached at dwalker@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3429. Read more TV coverage at nola.com/tv. Follow him at twitter.com/davewalkertp.